Chapter 3, Love is Separated by Mountains and Seas

Is this the parallel world

The red sunset is shining through the window, carrying the afterglow of the distant mountains that are about to descend, casting the last warmth upon his profile and body. Shadows stretch long on the ground.

It is as if the computer remains the same computer, the position of the chips in the hardware has not changed, yet the software installed on it has already changed. The name of the country has changed, the ideology is different, and the things that have emerged from this land have also undergone changes

Dong Lan is a good friend of Yang Xia in the courtyard, a quirky girl. During the golden era of Hong Kong dramas, when they were immensely popular, Dong Lan often imitated those trendy Cantonese expressions, making everyone burst into laughter. As a result, everyone began to call her "A Lan".

"Who is that?" he pointed to a stranger in the classroom

Generally speaking, if a girl were to so openly ask a boy out during physical education class, especially someone like Yang Xia, the class beauty who attracts attention, it is likely that there would have been a commotion, with various rumors and gossip spreading around.

He took out a notebook and continuously wrote down people's names

Yang Xia's expression gradually turned cold, "If you continue like this, I will be angry!"

Shanhai City

Uh ... she still thought she was fooling herself

Cheng Ran could no longer bear it, and tears streamed from her eyes

Cheng Ran nudged Yu Xiao with her elbow, who was on the verge of tears, "I just want to attend class properly, you lunatic, leave me alone..."

In Dong Lan's context, Yang Xia is called A Xia, Cheng Ran is called Cheng Zai, and Yu Xiao is called Xiao Shui Zai

The class dismissal bell rang, signaling the end of the lesson. The next class is physical education, and people gradually made their way to the playground. After completing their warm-up run, most of the physical education class consists of free playtime.

Butcher Li was once dismissed, how significant is this to him, who would dare to make it public? Just because you think you are remarkable, you, a mere student, dare to stand up? Don't think of yourself as a hero; you are merely naive and immature... If he truly decides to make you regret it!

"Alright, I hear you..." Cheng Ran casually plucked a blade of grass from the flowerbed, placing it in her mouth to savor its freshness.

The past and the present, separated by vast and boundless time and space

Cheng Ran then found Yu Xiao and even inquired with classmates who were familiar enough to have a conversation with him

The parents, who were in the process of setting the dishes on the table, turned their heads in surprise to look at Cheng Ran's appearance.

Moreover, regardless of any rumors involving Yang Xia and anyone else, it is impossible for them to be with the current Cheng Ran.

Cheng Ran, you were indeed right; it is true that in his previous life, during the high school entrance examination, he was directly eliminated from the first high school and fell into the third tier, the fourth high school. From that point on, he realized that his fate began to diverge from that of Yang Xia, Yu Xiao, and others.

I understand, I will be admitted to the high school division of No. 1 Middle School." Cheng Ran responded, "This bet is indeed valid.

Because everyone knows that Cheng Ran is one of the vast army of admirers from the courtyard who have been idolizing her since childhood, and she is nothing special

Cheng Ran pulled out his backpack from the drawer, exited the school, walked down the slope, and got into the car. As the vehicle moved up and down, he sat in the single seat in the second-to-last row, his face pressed against the glass, with everything in Shanhai City reflected in his eyes

Their names are marked by crosses, so piercing and yet so cruel

However, thinking of something, Yang Xia gradually became serious again, "Cheng Ran, don't think that I want to take care of you. How many points did you score in this mock exam? 421! Even if you get a full score of 50 in physical education, how far is that from the admission line of 660 at the First High School of the City?"

You cannot attend Yizhong High School, and you do not intend to attend Yizhong High School, I understand. Therefore, you have given up on yourself and are challenging Li Zhan in this manner! But can't you endure a little longer? You can still apply to other schools. Take Wuzhong for example; last year, the admission score was also around 540 points. If you put in some effort, you could still get into this school.

However, seeing Yu Xiao beside her, the middle school teachers, and every familiar person in this classroom, Cheng Ran felt a slight sense of calmness settle within her again

The young boy, leaning against the tree trunk with a grass stem in his mouth and his hands clasped behind his head, listens to his own reprimands, which, at the corners of his faintly smiling lips, sound like heavenly music.

Whether in the courtyard or the entire class, everyone knows that he has feelings for Yang Xia. This secret crush that Cheng Ran believes to be his own is, in fact, already well-known to all, even among the adults in the courtyard unit.

Her face, which at this age can already be seen as a source of calamity, is like a glacier. "I hope that many years from now, your life will not be a joke"

He has already felt the shock of being struck by the great power of time and space

The bus moved forward amidst the swaying, but with her increasingly clenched notebook, Cheng Ran's eyes reddened, and her vision blurred

Unable to say goodbye, we shall never meet again

The familiar noodle shop has begun to close, while the stationery store with its sign already changed still has students lingering unwilling to leave. The aroma of fried potatoes from the old lady's stall at the street corner wafts through the air, and the sound of spatulas can be heard from the old houses along the bluestone road. The surface of the lake along the lakeside road is still sprinkled with shimmering waves like gold coins, and the streets lined with sycamore trees flow with people hurrying for their livelihoods under the shooting stars that streak across the sky. The sound of spatulas can be heard from the old houses along the bluestone road, and the surface of the lake along the lakeside road is still sprinkled with shimmering waves like gold coins, while the streets lined with sycamore trees flow with people hurrying for their livelihoods under the shooting stars that streak across the sky.

A sense of helpless sorrow filled his entire chest, as he wept on the bus, wept on the streets, tears streaming down his face, blurring his vision. Finally, he found that familiar building and home, trembling hands pushing the door open

Cheng Ran did not know how long it had been since school was dismissed; he only knew that by the end, even the duty students had left the entire classroom, leaving him all alone.

Cheng Ran was taken aback, "What about Dong Lan, that Alan... is she doing well?"

What is with your dismissive tone? Cheng Ran, this is not about you questioning him, but rather what abilities and qualifications do you possess? You simply do not have the capability to compete with him... We are students now, and our only task is to study hard; that is our greatest responsibility

What exactly are you thinking? It is the last month, and your grades have improved significantly. Do you dare to bet with Li the butcher? Have you heard what he said? He wants you to reflect in front of the entire school and also wants to put it in your record! Do you understand that this is no longer just a matter of calling your parents? Even if you do call them, he won't acknowledge it! This is now a matter of your future

Jiang Xiaochao, Dong Lan, Zhang Jun, Wang Wei, Li Yadong, Zhang Ping, Liu Yuchao, Zhang Yong, Wang Jun, Deng Jianguo, Li Bo

Is this truly a parallel world, where some familiar things and people continue on their own paths, like the trunk of a great tree, but with many more leaves or branches added?

Listening to the girl in front of him cheerfully describe herself as "immature," Cheng Ran felt an overwhelming sense of familiarity. Yang Xia was the girl he had secretly admired from childhood through his middle school years, and now she stood before him, so real that he could even catch a faint scent of laurel emanating from her body. As he listened to her rapid-fire words, he did not feel discomfort; rather, he enjoyed it. He thought, "Of course, he wouldn't dare to ask his parents; does he want to make that matter known to everyone? So he can only act in secret! Is there any need to spare face for a despicable teacher who enjoys receiving gifts, leveraging connections, currying favor with superiors, pushing colleagues out, and does not genuinely care about education, all while having a poor character?"

Everything in sight is so familiar, the city that I once truly lived in, which exists in my memories, has not disappeared, yet it has become incredibly strange and has taken on another name

He watched as Yang Xia rose to prominence at Yizhong High School. Among the notable figures of her class, Yang Xia was undoubtedly one of them. It was later said that a similarly legendary boy pursued her abroad. Many years later, the stories of the two continue to be passed down through generations

Now, reflecting on the various experiences of that time, and being immersed in this era, Cheng Ran feels a slight pain of nostalgia.

Yang Xia truly turned her head away from him, and, bypassing his position, was already prepared to leave him with her back turned. Her profile, resembling the beauty of frost and snow under the light, appeared angry yet somewhat dazzling.

He? It's Dou Xiao! Ma Biao and the others are from the same unit, you didn't know? They were classmates for three years in junior high school

The nib of the fountain pen is on the notebook, as the force penetrates through the paper, leaving the hand covered in scars from the writing

Cheng Ran felt a tightness in his chest, staring at Yang Xia, as if his eyes had turned into two holes, revealing an endless abyss within. After a moment, his voice trembled slightly as he asked, "There isn't such a person, is there?"

It is as if the great power of the Creator has descended as a gift; however, along with this expanse of mountains and seas that has been bestowed, some things have been taken away from his side

Every day, at every moment, we inevitably pass by certain individuals, or part ways with acquaintances at intersections

The ones encircled are the people he is still familiar with in this world, such as Yang Xia, Yu Xiao

Cheng Ran discovered that something seemed to be a part of his life, forcefully and brutally torn away, either taken away or shoved into an unfathomable abyss, or slipped into some temporal and spatial crevice, and this was something beyond the power of a small human like him.

However, many things in this world have changed

Cheng Ran felt as if he now held the greatest secret of the entire world, yet he had to grit his teeth and keep this secret buried deep within his heart

In Cheng Ran's hand, there is a handwritten list containing many names; some of those names are circled by him, while others are crossed out.

Having traversed and been reborn, I did not return directly to the familiar world of the past, but instead arrived in a parallel world that differs from the one I once knew. Is this a blessing or a misfortune

Yang Xia carefully looked at him and said word by word, "Cheng Ran, do you know where you disappoint people? It is that I cannot see the weight of the word 'serious' in you. It seems that everything can be made a joke of."

And those marked with a cross are the ones who have disappeared, those who have never existed in this world

Cheng Ran calmly spoke, "By the way, is Jiang Xiaochao still secretly writing love letters to you?"

Xia Yang has experienced many significant events in her life. Not long ago, a close friend of hers was the target of thoughtless jokes made by boys from another class, which were quite hurtful and caused the girl to cry. Upon hearing this, Yang Xia rushed into the other class and called the boy out, delivering a fierce kick to his ankle. The boy was considered quite formidable in his class, yet he could only raise his hands in surrender in the face of her actions

And the worse thing about this is

Yang Xia was already waiting for him under the mottled shade of the trees

Can we discuss this... Can we discuss this!

Yang Xia was wearing a red hooded sweatshirt and a pair of soft cotton sweatpants. Her black hair was tied back in a ponytail, but she faced Cheng Ran with an unfriendly expression. After speaking, she turned and left, leaving a group of people watching Cheng Ran with glee.

She dropped this sentence and turned around, the pink figure in the sweatshirt gradually receding, leaving Cheng Ran standing there in a daze.

In her every gesture and movement, there is a subtle elegance, even a certain... an indescribable and ineffable quality that she finds difficult to articulate

However, Yang Xia was momentarily taken aback and looked at him with a strange expression, "Who is Jiang Xiaochao?"

This left Yang Xia somewhat flustered, prompting her to speak with greater intensity. It seemed that by emphasizing the key points, she could revert Cheng Ran to her original state. The current state of being flawless made her feel somewhat anxious and unsettled

Cheng Ran瞬间像是一个失去了脚下大地, 漂浮在宇宙的生灵

The world remains the same, encompassing the middle school classroom and the locust trees that overshadow the teaching building.

Yang Xia furrowed her brows; the Cheng Ran before her was no longer the same person who used to cower and lower his eyes under her cold tone, as if he had transformed into someone entirely different

There is not a trace of impression at all ... ! ... Moreover, Cheng Ran swore that in his past memories, there was simply no existence of such a person !

Jiang Xiaochao is one of the children in the compound, known for frequently delivering love letters to Yang Xia, and for his persistence in the face of repeated failures, which later became the greatest blemish of his life. Reflecting on these amusing aspects of the compound, Cheng Ran couldn't help but smile

At that moment, a dam within the most painful part of his heart was breached by a surging tide, and he wept uncontrollably, crying out loud.

Is it time for you to talk back now? If it weren't for your mother commissioning me to keep an eye on you and report back, do you think I would have the leisure to say these things to you? Should I inform Aunt Xu about this?

The old man guarding the gate often shakes his head with a look of regret at him, who is rushing to class after just waking up, saying, "You overslept again... Yang Xia left for the earlier bus five minutes before you!"

At this moment, Yang Xia walked directly in front of Cheng Ran, who was watching the school under the shade of a tree, and calmly said, "Come with me for a moment"

However, with such a commotion today, if it is recorded in your file, which school would still dare to accept you

But in reality, you may never know, that could very well be the last time you meet each other in your lives

He once crossed the street with them, shoulder to shoulder, shared drinks and heartfelt conversations, went wild and made a ruckus together. Those old friends, who were once like old dogs, remind him of strong tea and aged fine wine, those faces that he cannot forget or that linger in his memory.

Yang Xia suddenly stopped in her tracks, and one could discern the fiery tone in her voice, "Are you having fun teasing me? Cheng Ran, can you act a bit more normally!"

As soon as Cheng Ran arrived in front of him, he was met with the girl's frosty "explosion" of expression

The two individuals, who appeared significantly younger, were just about to say something when Cheng Ran suddenly lunged forward, crashing into his father's chest. He extended his arms to embrace him, enveloped by the familiar and broad, mountain-like presence of his father's aura.